Apparatus for drying cinematographic films and the like



April 21, 1959 A. v. L. c. DEBRIE APPARATUS FOR DRYING CINEMATOGRAPHICFILMS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 25, 1955 United States Patent APPARATUSFOR DRYING CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS AND THE LIKE Andr Victor Lon 'ClmentDebrie, Paris, France Application January 25, 1955, Serial No. 483,995

Claims priority, application France March 9, 1954 4 Claims. (Cl. 34-71)The present invention relates to a method for drying cinematographicfilms and the like and also to a device for carrying said method intopractice.

It is a well known practice, particularly in machines for developingcinematographic films, to drain the films before drying them.

Particularly when treating color films, at the moment the localizedsound track is being redeveloped, it is desirable that the gelatine beas little wet as possible in order to avoid spreading of the treatingliquid.

If it is desired to obtain machines of small dimensions, such thoroughdraining operation should be quickly carried out because little time isavailable between the successive treating operations.

Generally, the draining of the film is obtained by directing upon thefilm over a limited area thereof, the air blown under pressure by anozzle inclined at a convenient angle.

7 Such air blOWs away the drops of liquid and tends to carry with it thefinest particles.

f This is a drawback detrimental to the subsequent operations by thepossible interference of the carrying and difiusion in the atmosphere ofhindering and even harmful particles.

The object of this invention is to provide a method for draining a filmwhich is taken out of a treating bath,

consisting in causing the film to travel within an enclosure out ofwhich the air is constantly sucked and in subjecting it locally, insidesaid enclosure, to a flat air stream inclined at a suitable anglestriking theemulsioned surface so that the liquid particles and themoistened air be immediately carried away by the sucking action theetficiency of which is sufficient for absorbing the quantity of aircoming in with the stream and sucked through the slots of said enclosurethrough which the film is driven in and out.

In this manner, no liquid particle and no air loaded with vapor are ableto get out of the sucking and blowing enclosure, nor are they likely tohinder the operations or operators.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art, from a consideration of thefollowing description of one embodiment of the invention, shown by wayof example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevational view of the embodiment illustrated' in theright-hand half of said figure and a sectional view taken along theplane of symmetry of the film in the left-hand half of said figure.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding side elevational view as seen from the exitside of the film,

Fig. 3 is perspective view, with portions taken away, of the bodyincorporating the sucking enclosure, and

Fig. 4 is perspective view of the part serving as a bottom for the abovementioned body.

In said Figures 3 and 4 are not shown the parts forming the top and thebottom of the passages for the film nor the sucking pipe, nor the partswhich bring and direct the air stream.

The cavity 1 which constitutes the enclosure wherein the film issubjected to the sucking action and to the draining air stream, isprovided within a body 2 obturated at the lower part thereof by adetachable bottom 3 arranged between the lateral walls 4 of the body 2and cylindrical zones 5. Between said cylindrical zones 5, and extendingfrom one wall 4 to the other are provided two rectangular passages 7 and8 respectively, level with the axis of the cylindrical cavity 1 andthrough which extends the film 9.

On the entrance side of the film, the access into the passage 7 isrestricted between a scraper 11 made of rubber for instance and an upperprismatical part 12.

The film, exteriorly driven and guided by known means (not shown) isconstantly pressed with its non-emulsioned side, on the scraper 11 thebearing edge of which may be slightly arcuate. This scraper is clampedbetween the body 3 and a metal angle part 14, which cooperates with arib 15 of the bottom 3 and a knurled thumbscrew 16.

On the exit side of the film 9, the passage 8 is bounded downwardly bythe edge 17 of a scraper 18 similar to the scraper 11 upon which thefilm is pressed in the same manner as on 13. Said scraper is secured, asthe scraper 11, by means of parts 14 15' 16'.

At the top, the slot is bounded by the lower side 19 of the nozzle slot21 through which is blow out the air stream which is directed upon thefilm and which blows away the water in order to drain the emulsion side.This nozzle is provided between the sidewalls 4 in a prismatic block 22secured to the part 2 by means of a screw 20. The converging section isbounded by a face 24 machined in 22 and the attached wall 19 serv-' ingas a lower side for the slot 21.

The lower face in which the slot 21 is thus arranged, at right angles tothe direction of travel of the film, is, on the exit side, constitutedby a bevelled section 25 of part 19 and by an edge 26 of the block 22.

The slot 21 is located near the emulsion side of the film 9 withoutengaging it and opens entirely within the passage 8 of the cavity 1 atthe rear of 18. i

The section 23 of the nozzle opens into a cylindrical blind hole 27horizontally directed in the block 22.

This hole 27 communicates with an air supplying tube 28.

Inside the cavity 1, a hole 29 provided in one of the side walls 4 ofthe body 2 communicates with the sucking side through a connecting pipe31.

In order permanently to afiord an easy maintenance of the assembly andto make it possible to insert and draw out the film, even under wetcondition and in any portion of its length, the bottom 3 is guidedlymounted by pins 32 and 33 on each side thereof.

The pins 32 slide in grooves 34 provided in the lower portion of thesidewalls 4 of the body 2, while the pins 33, which are longer andinternally screw-threaded for the purpose of receiving thumb screws 35,are held in place and clamped by said screws 35 in open slots 36 of thesidewalls 4. 7

- The operation is obvious: the air is blown under pres sure through thepipe 28 and a sufiicient sucking action is maintained through 31 in thecavity 1.

The air which enters the cavity through 21, together with the waterparticles and the moisture that loads this air after the latter hasimpinged upon the emulsion of the film 9, and also the air coming inthrough between 12 and 13 and between 17 and 25, are progressivelyexpelled through 29 and the sucking pipe 31.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitatingsense.

In particular the sucking efiect through 31 may be sufiicient not onlyfor maintaining air under pressure in the cavity 1 and for expelling theliquid blown away from the emulsion but also mighty enough for causingthe air naturally to come in through 27 and get out through 21 with avelocity suflicient for draining the surface of the film 9 and in thiscase, any supply of pressure air through a pipe 28 may be omittedprovided 27 communicates with the atmosphere.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for removing liquid from a web of sheet material,comprising, in combination, a housing having top and bottom wallsinterconnected by a pair of opposed side walls, said side walls and topand bottom walls defining a hollow interior portion of said housing;means connected to the ends of said top and bottom walls and extendingbetween said side walls for defining an entrance gap and an exit gap forrespectively leading a web of sheet material into and out of saidhousing, said gap defining means including a pair of scraper elementswhich define the lower edges of said gaps, respectively, and which areadapted to engage the under side of a web of sheet material movingthrough said entrance gap along the interior of said housing and outthrough said exit gap; means connected to one of said side walls andcommunicating with the interior of said housing for withdrawing air fromthe interior of said housing so as to create an air stream moving intosaid housing through said gaps and along the upper face of a web ofsheet material located in said housing to remove liquid from the upperface of the web; and adjusting means operatively connected to saidscraper elements for adjusting the elevation thereof and therebyadjusting the width of said gaps, respectively.

2. Apparatus for removing liquid from the exterior of a web of sheetmaterial, comprising, in combination, a housing having top and bottomwalls and a pair of opposed side walls interconnecting said top andbottom walls, the latter and said side walls providing a hollow interiorwithin said housing; means connected to the ends of said top and bottomwalls for defining gaps respectively extending across said housingbetween said side walls thereof and communicating with the interior ofsaid housing, said gap forming means including a pair of scraperelements defining the lower edges of said gaps, respectively, and saidgap forming means further including a nozzle means located over andspaced from one of said scraper elements for directing air underpressure into the interior of said housing at an acute angle to a planein which the upper edges of said scraper elements are located; andsuction means communicating at one of said side walls with an interiorportion of said housing located below said plane.

3. Apparatus for removing liquid from the exterior of a web of sheetmaterial, comprising, in combination, a housing having top and bottomwalls and a pair of opposed side walls interconnecting said top andbottom walls, said top and bottom walls respectively having facesdirected toward each other and formed with a pair of opposed grooves,respectively, which form part of a cylinder, said top and bottom wallsand side walls defining a hollow interior portion of said housing; meanscarried by the ends of said top and bottom walls and extending acrosssaid housing between said side walls thereof for defining an entrancegap and an exit gap for leading a web of sheet material respectivelyinto and out of said housing, said gap forming means including a pair ofscraper elements having upper free edges which respectively define thelower edges of said gaps; and suction means communicating with theinterior of said housing at one of said side walls thereof and at anelevation lower than a plane in which the upper edges of said scraperelements are located for drawing air into said housing through said gapsthereof and then removing the air from said housing.

4. Apparatus for removing liquid from a web of sheet material,comprising, in combination, a substantially U-shaped rigid elementhaving a pair of opposed side walls forming the side walls of a housingand having a third wall which forms the top wall of said housing, saidside walls respectively having lower edge portions distant from said topwall and formed at surfaces directed toward each other with a pair ofelongated grooves, and said side walls having end faces respectivelyformed with notches substantially at the elevation of said grooves; awall member forming a bottom wall for the housing and having a pair ofopposed pins respectively slidable along said grooves for connectingsaid bottom Wall of said housing to said side walls and top wallthereof, said bottom wall having also a pair of pins respectivelylocated in said notches and adapted to receive screw members forremovably fixing said bottom wall to said U- shaped member; a pair ofclamps respectively fixed to end faces of said bottom wall; a pair ofresilient scraper elements respectively connected to the ends of saidbottom wall by said clamps and extending upwardly from said bottom wallso that said scraper elements have free edges located at a higherelevation than said bottom wall; a gap forming member connected to anend face of said top wall and located over one of said scraper elementsin spaced relations thereto to define a gap therewith; nozzle meansfixed to the other end face of said top wall and located over andadjacent but spaced from the other scraper element to define a secondgap therewith, said nozzle means directing an air stream into theinterior of the housing at an acute angle to a plane in which the upperfree edges of said scraper elements are located; and suction meanscommunicating with one of said side walls of said housing and throughthe latter with the interior of said housing at a portion of the latterlocated below said plane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,065,070 Hanson Dec. 22, 1936 2,095,471 Hayward Oct. 12, 1937 2,119,261Andrews May 31, 1938 2,144,919 Gautreau Jan. 24, 1939 2,205,391 BrunkowJune 25, 1940 2,225,505 Ofien Dec. 17, 1940 2,234,697 Hickman Mar. 11,1941 2,289,753 Capstaff July 14, 1942 2,565,576 Runton Aug. 28, 19512,574,844 Roden Nov. 13, 1951 2,627,667 Gillis Feb. 10, 1953 2,645,031Edwards -July 14, 1953

